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Friday April 27, 1:05 PMAustralia pledges $3.3 million in aid to N. Korea(Kyodo) _ Australia confirmed Friday it will provide almost $3.3 million in humanitarian aid to North Korea.In a statement released by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer's office it said Australia would supply food, hygiene and medical aid to be delivered through U.N. agencies and the International Red Cross. Last month, a delegation of senior Australian officials visited North Korea to urge Pyongyang to meet a commitment it made in February to shut down its nuclear reactor. Under the Feb. 13 pact reached at the six-party talks, Pyongyang agreed to shut down and seal its Yongbyon nuclear facility and invite inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency back to the country by April 14, in exchange for the start of energy aid. North Korea failed to meet the deadline due to an ongoing financial dispute with the United States. Downer's spokesman said the aid was not dependent on North Korea's nuclear commitments because it was humanitarian, rather than development aid. The need for humanitarian assistance for North Korean citizens had become apparent during the delegation's visit, he said. The U.N. World Food Program last month called on the international community to increase food aid to North Korea, saying the country faced a shortfall of 1 million metric tons of food. |
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